To Be of Use

Good Shepherd is sponsoring a Mission and Ministry month in June--publicity seems to lag rather than precede action, but here's a hearty welcome to all to participate.

June 10 Jillian Raimondo-Langham, Director of Human Services for the Borough of Fort Lee came to describe the needs of Fort Lee residents:  in the midst of affluence about a thousand residents receive food stamps, some residents need welfare temporarily for the times when unexpected expenses, usually medical, mean monthly expenses exceed monthly income, others need a one time grant to prevent eviction, or help with utilities bills, or just a listening ear for the times when someone's very successful life suddenly falls apart (investment gone bad, marital problems, job loss, and so on).

June 17 we will highlight the work of Family Promise of Bergen County, which helps families ideally prevent homelessness or help them find their way back into shelter when the cost of living exceeds the income of two, three, or even four full time jobs in a household.  

June 24 representatives from Greenfaith, an interreligious environmental advocacy group, will come to Good Shepherd:  in the 10am Eucharist Paul Kaufman will talk about ways to help protect and clean up our environment, and from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm Jamaal Reavis will help people see whether their home could benefit from solar energy panels, available through Greenfaith at a greatly reduced cost.

Good Shepherd is also gathering contributions for the Bergen County Summer Campership Program, which provides scholarships for children of working parents to attend day camp rather than stay home alone, and the Christian Haitian American Partnership program which supports a nutrition program in Haiti.  Come learn about any of these ways Good Shepherd is helping our neighbors help neighbors!

We also have an ongoing canned food and toiletry collection for the Center for Food Action, and provide birthday gifts for children who are residents of the Holley Center, a division of Youth Consultation Services.  Speakers will come to describe these agencies in September.